


She'll Come Around

by BouncyOrb



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: M/M, angst but not really
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-16
Updated: 2020-07-16
Packaged: 2021-03-04 18:55:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,135
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25301212
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BouncyOrb/pseuds/BouncyOrb
Summary: Fire Lord Zuko visits the Southern Water Tribe with his friends, but he doesn't feel ready to be here
Relationships: Sokka/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 213





	She'll Come Around

“The last time I was here,” Zuko said, stepping off Appa, “I didn’t make a good first impression.”

“Ah, that’s true for a lot of places, you’ll be fine.” Sokka helps him down onto the snow. “If any place is gonna welcome you with open arms, its gonna be here.”

“ITS THE FIRE LORD!” a group of small water tribe boys scream as they rush Zuko with sticks. “GET HIM!” they shout as they whack his large coat.

“I feel so… welcome.”

“Well, if it isn’t the Fire Lord.”

“Katara!” Sokka gives his sister a hug. “How have things been? Are we keeping the defenses up? Who’s doing perimeter checks?”

“Sokka, theres no war, nobody’s doing perimeter checks.” Katara turns to Zuko. “Hello.”

“Hi.” Zuko says with a weak wave. “It’s very… cold here.”

Katara just looked at him, and walked Sokka into a large tent. Aang leapt off of Appa, dashing Zuko with snow as he landed.

“What’s wrong, Katara looks upset.”

“I think she’s still… processing me and Sokka.” Zuko picked up the one travel bag he brought with him. “I don’t blame her. I’m surprised anybody could stand to even be in the same room as me after-”

“Hey, that was your dad, not you.” Aang put an arm around him. “Everybody knows you’re as much a good guy as the rest of us.”

“Well, now that I’m…” Zuko paused.

“You’re dating Sokka. It’s okay to say it, y’know. The water tribe is a very accepting people.” Aang said with a smile.

“That’s not it.” Zuko glanced at the tent they were headed towards. “Katara.”

“She’ll come around, I know she will. Besides, you’re here on official Fire Lord business.” Aang swept open the flap of the tent. “Nobody’s even gonna mention it.”

“There he is!” Hakoda shouts. “My future son in law!”

The crowd sitting in the tent cheers. Zuko looks to Sokka, then Aang, and finally Katara. His face was almost as pale as the snow. Hakoda stood and gave Zuko a bear hug that lifted him off his feet.

“Come, come! Sit with me, Zuko!”

“Yes, Chief Hakoda. We have… much to discuss.”

“Indeed. But first, we celebrate.” He sat down and Zuko sat with him. Sokka and Katara sat across from them. Katara still wasn’t looking at him. “The first Fire Lord to visit our tribe, we are honored to be here to witness such a remarkable event.”

“I am…” Zuko looked around the tent. This small group of water tribe families was miles more intimidating than any war meeting he’d ever been in. “I am humbled and… I am very grateful to be here today. I want to personally give you all my word that I will continue to make amends for my family’s actions and uplift the world.” He had their attention. He didn’t want their attention. “With the help of the Avatar,” he gestured to Aang, “I will work towards restoring the world, and help to usher in a new age of peace.”

There was a moment of quiet. Zuko prayed to the spirits not to pass out. Then the tent broke out into cheers, even louder and more joyous than before. Even Katara joined in this time. That settled his mind. Hakoda patted him on the back with the force of a polar bear dog. Before he knew it, there was music and dancing and food and a party had suddenly broken out around him. Zuko made shy small talk with a few people. He noticed Katara glaring at him through the crowd. She turned and left the tent just as he caught her eye. He excused himself and followed her out. The sun was going down, Zuko followed her footprints to a smaller tent. He cautiously entered the tent, only to find it was empty.

“Katara?” He called out.

“Not here.” A womans voice responded. “Just me.”

“Oh.” Zuko made room for the elderly woman to enter the tent. “You must be Sokka’s grandmother.”

“Call me Gran Gran.”

“A pleasure to meet you… Gran Gran. Have you seen Katara?”

“She’s taking some time to think on her own. She’ll be back soon.”

“Oh. Thank you.” Zuko was about to leave.

“Besides me, her brother is all she has left.” Gran Gran said, stopping Zuko. “She doesn’t want to lose him.”

“But I would never hurt him. She knows that.” 

“That’s not the only way to lose somebody.” Gran Gran said as she sat down beside him. “Although I’m sure your history with them is also on her mind.”

“How do I fix this?” Zuko asked her, he believed that she would have the answer.

“The same way you fix the world.” Gran Gran grabbed his hand. “You give them space, be there when they need you, and show them that you are the man the world needs.”

Zuko squeezed her hand and knelt down next to her.

“Sokka and Katara are lucky to have someone so wise in their lives.”

“I hear the same thing about your uncle.” She said sweetly. “Go find Sokka, he’ll want to be with you tonight.”

“Thank you, Gran Gran.” Zuko left the tent and Gran Gran laughed to herself for a moment.

“So? What do you think?” Gran Gran asked.

“I dunno.” Katara said as she popped up from under a pile of blankets behind her. “I’m just…”

“It’s alright to be afraid. This is a big change for you and your brother. But he needs you there. You’re all he has too.”

“We have you too, Gran Gran.” Katara gave her a kiss on her forehead. “I love you.”

“I love you too, Katara, very much.”

Katara left for the party and looked for Zuko and Sokka. She weaved through the partygoers until she bumped into Zuko, who then bumped into Sokka, who then bumped into Toph.

“Hey, careful!”

“Sorry.” Katara looks to Sokka and Zuko. “Hey guys.”

“Hi.” Sokka says.

“Hi.” Zuko says, sheepishly. “Hey, Toph, let’s go enjoy some rare Water Tribe delicacies.”

“Now you’re talking!” Toph says as Zuko leads her away.

Sokka looks at Katara like he knows everything she’s about to say.

“Sokka I… I’m-”

“Katara.” Sokka interrupts her. “Y’know, Zuko has to go back to the Fire Nation in a few days.”

“Oh.” Katara looks at her feet.

“Buuuuut,” Sokka says in a dramatic tone, “I think I oughta stick around a while longer.”

“Really?” Katara looked back up at her brother, lighting up the entire party.

“Yeah, just make sure things are all in check here. Maybe just…” he gives Katara a smug look, “chill out for a while.”

“Shut up.” Katara says with a laugh. She hugs him, and he hugs her back.

“I’m not going anywhere Katara.” Sokka says as he holds his sister.

“Neither am I.”


End file.
